The present invention relates generally to disposable absorbent garments and more particularly to disposable absorbent products having improved bowel movement (BM) containment means including a pocket for containing and isolating BM to prevent the soiling of genitals.
Traditionally, disposable absorbent garments such as infant diapers or training pants, adult incontinence products and other such products are constructed with a liquid-impervious outer backing sheet, a liquid-pervious body-contacting inner liner sheet, and a liquid-absorbent core sandwiched between the liner and backing sheets.
Some of the major challenges facing diaper manufacturers include the containment of BM and urine long enough so that it may be absorbed into the absorbent core. Subsequent insults, which typically take longer to be absorbed due to a partially saturated absorbent core, have been particularly troublesome. Inboard leg gathers contain and trap laterally flowing BM and urine, allowing more time to absorb the waste products.
Diaper rash can occur when absorbent articles do not adequately breathe, i.e., allowing the passage of air between and through the article to the wearer""s skin. Since the backsheet is commonly liquid impermeable, its ability to pass air is typically diminished. In response, a number of manufacturers now provide disposable absorbent articles which, though containing liquid impermeable backing materials, nevertheless pass air through the article to improve comfort. Consequently, this contributor to diaper rash has been largely addressed with the introduction of state of the art materials in absorbent articles.
However, another significant contributor to diaper rash extends beyond the xe2x80x9cbreathabilityxe2x80x9d of the absorbent article. This contributor is the result of the intermixing of urine and BM, which promotes microbial and enzymatic activity that can be harmful to skin. Incomplete removal of urine and BM between diaper changes promotes skin irritation and diaper rash, especially in the area of the genitals which are more difficult to clean. Breathable fibers and films do not solve this component. Thus, despite efforts to employ state of the art nonwovens and films to reduce the incidence of diaper rash, it continues to be problematic until urine and stool are isolated from one another and prevented from soiling genitals.
Proposals for depositing urine and stool into compartments have been disclosed for example in Williams, U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,877. Williams discloses an absorbent garment comprising an apertured topsheet, an absorbent core positioned beneath the apertured topsheet and sandwiched between a lower topsheet and a backsheet. The waste components are directed through the apertured topsheet into the lower compartment. The Williams apertured topsheet does not separate urine and stool. Rather, the urine is transported to the absorbent core through the lower compartment, which is precisely where the stool is located. As a consequence, urine and stool may intermingle.
Other proposals for containing stool within separate compartments of an absorbent garment have been made. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,660 to Dreier, discloses an absorbent article having a pocket cuff formed at a back end thereof and above the absorbent core. The Dreier pocket cuff functions as an end cap preventing the longitudinal migration of stool over the back waist portion of the diaper. Though disclosing an end cap for containing the longitudinal flow of stool, Dreier does not contemplate having absorbent material within the end cap. Further, the Dreier end cap does not prevent the forward migration of BM. In the event that the stool migrates forwardly in the Dreier absorbent article, it will have an opportunity to intermix with urine as well as soil the genitals. Thus, end caps such as disclosed by Dreier are generally not effective in isolating urine from BM, and not effective in preventing soiling of genitals.
These are but a few of the shortcomings and disadvantages of the prior art that the preferred embodiments seek to address.
It is an object of the preferred embodiments to provide a disposable absorbent garment which generally reduces the incidence of diaper rash.
It is another object of the preferred embodiments to provide a disposable absorbent garment which prevents the soiling of genitals after a bowel movement.
It is another object of the preferred embodiments to provide a disposable absorbent garment which prevents the soiling of genitals by collecting the bowel movement in a pocket formed in the diaper and isolating the collected BM from urine.
It is a further object of the preferred embodiments to prevent the soiling of genitals after a bowel movement by preventing the forward migration of BM in the direction of the genitals.
It is yet a further object of the preferred embodiments to provide a disposable absorbent garment incorporating a waste containment pocket into which stool may be directed without intermingling with urine.
It is still further yet another object of the preferred embodiments to provide an absorbent garment having a lower absorbent structure for the absorption and containment of stool, and an upper absorbent structure above the lower absorbent structure for absorbing and containing urine independently of the lower absorbent structure.
In another aspect of the invention, the upper and lower topsheets are formed from a continuous roll good material during manufacturing.
It is still yet a further object of the preferred embodiments to provide an absorbent garment having upper and lower absorption structures, wherein the lower absorption structure contains the main absorption core and the upper absorbent structure contains a secondary absorption core.
It is still yet a further object of the preferred embodiments to provide an absorbent structure which has two pairs of inboard or standing waste containment pockets or gathers, wherein the inner pair of standing gathers is associated with the upper absorbent structure and tends to encourage an open end of the upper absorbent structure to form an arched shaped opening into which BM may be collected, isolated and retained.
These and other objects of the preferred embodiments are achieved by an absorbent article having a front waist region, a rear waist region and a crotch region positioned between the front and rear waist regions. Leg elastics are optionally provided along the leg openings for securely holding the leg openings against the thighs of the wearer to improve containment and fit. A fastening system, either resealable or permanent, holds the absorbent article around the wearer""s waist. A pair of stand-up leg gathers or waste containment flaps may be attached to or formed from the topsheet, and preferably extend from the front waist region to the rear waist region along opposite sides of a longitudinal centerline of the absorbent garment.
The absorbent core structure of the preferred embodiments includes a lower absorbent structure extending substantially from the front waist region to the rear waist region, and an upper absorbent structure extending from the front waist region to the crotch region. Alternatively, the lower absorbent structure preferably extends to a position in the crotch region subjacent a rear edge of the upper absorbent structure. The lower absorbent structure includes a lower absorbent core which is disposed between a lower topsheet and the backsheet, and may include other layers, including tissue and airlaid fluff pulp.
The upper absorbent structure includes an absorbent core (called the upper absorbent core) which is preferably similarly encased by a topsheet (upper topsheet) and optionally a backsheet and may include other intermediate transfer and acquisition layers including synthetic nonwoven, airlaid fluff pulp roll good and tissue. The upper absorbent structure is attached along three peripheral sides to the structure therebeneath. More specifically, the front edge of the upper absorbent structure is generally attached near the front waist section, and the side edges of the upper absorbent structure are generally attached to the lower topsheet or backsheet at a point generally above the lateral side edges of the bottom absorbent core. The rear edge of the upper absorbent structure, on the other hand, is substantially unattached to the lower topsheet or other structure therebeneath. except at its corners.
Optionally, a second or inner pair of inboard waste containment flaps are positioned at the lateral side edges of the upper absorbent structure. The inner pair of waste containment flaps are, like the outer pair of waste containment flaps, elasticized at distal ends thereof. The elastics tend to contract when the tensile forces are removed. The contraction of the inner pair of waste containment flaps tends to encourage the rear edge of the upper absorbent structure to rise above the lower topsheet, forming an arched-shaped pocket opening. The pocket opening forms an entrance to a waste containment pocket formed between the upper absorbent structure and the components of the absorbent garment therebeneath.
During manufacturing, the lower absorbent structure preferably has a curved contour about the longitudinal axis imparted thereto at the time that the corners at the rear edge of the upper absorbent structure are secured to the lower topsheet. The curvature imparted to the lower absorbent structure tends to facilitate the opening of the arch-shaped waste containment pocket. The curvature on the lower absorbent structure predisposes the upper and lower absorbent structures to separate from one another even in the absence of elastics at the distal end of the inner pair of waste containment flaps.
The rear edge of the upper absorbent structure preferably extends at least partially into the crotch area so that when a wearer urinates, the urine tends to be contained by and within the upper absorbent core. Likewise, the upper absorbent structure is preferably sized so that when a wearer has a bowel movement, substantially all of the BM initially contacts the lower topsheet and tends to migrate in the direction of and into the waste containment pocket. Consequently, the absorbent garment of the preferred embodiments advantageously isolates urine and BM, prevents BM/urine from spreading and soiling genitals, and eliminates one of the significant contributors to diaper rash.
Further objects, features and advantages of the preferred embodiments of the invention will be further appreciated when the detailed description of the preferred embodiments is read in conjunction with the attached drawing figures.